Before settling on Lou Piniella as the next manager of the Cubs, general manager Jim Hendry is known to have interviewed four other candidates and checked in on a fifth in the Padres’ Bruce Bochy.
Included in the process were former managers Bob Brenly and Joe Girardi, and Cubs minor-league managers Mike Quade and Pat Listach.
Brenly and Girardi are still hoping to land managing jobs elsewhere, with openings in San Francisco, Oakland, Washington and Texas.
“I’m not disappointed,” said Girardi, a native of Peoria, a Northwestern graduate and ex-Cubs captain. “It was a job I was very interested in, but that’s part of life and you have to move on.
“I’m sure one day the possibility still exists [of managing the Cubs].”
Girardi already has interviewed twice in Chicago but has experience as a bench coach and broadcaster with the Yankees.
“There are other interviews,” he said by phone from his Florida home. “It’s just part of the game. I’m going to pick the job that’s right for me and my family; coaching, broadcasting, managing. I’ll look at everything.”
Quade (Triple-A Iowa) and Listach (Double-A West Tenn) were not considered serious candidates and most likely will either be back in their positions in the minors or as Cubs coaches.
Here is a rundown of the possibilities for the three major candidates:
Bob Brenly
Most likely Brenly will return to the Cubs’ television booth as analyst, which would be fine with him. Brenly, who managed Arizona to the 2001 World Series title, has been mentioned as a candidate for the vacancy in San Francisco, where he played and managed, but he has not been contacted for an interview. He could possibly get an interview in Oakland because of his Bay Area connections, although his managing style does not fit that of GM Billy Beane. Probably lost out with the Cubs because Hendry had his mind made up on Piniella early.
Joe Girardi
The former Cubs catcher lost out on a chance for his dream job, probably because of his relative lack of experience. The fired Marlins manager, still being paid by Florida for two more years, already has interviewed twice in Washington but is not believed to be the leading candidate there. He is not considered to be a strong candidate for any of the other openings. Girardi perhaps could return to the Yankees, where he was both a coach for manager Joe Torre and an announcer. He also is a coaching candidate elsewhere and could wind up at ESPN for a year.
Bruce Bochy
The fallback favorite if Piniella’s contract couldn’t get finished, Bochy may have several managing options. The Padres already have said they would allow him to interview for other jobs, presumably even the one in San Francisco, which is in the same NL West Division. He also could be a strong candidate in Oakland. But Bochy also has the option of staying where he is and making the final $1.9 million on his contract. But if he does that, he might be actively seeking a job next winter, because he isn’t expected to be invited back.
